The self-produced, debut single from Chris Comhaill explores ideas around the passage of time, nostalgia, growth and change viewed through the sun-flared lens of our formative years. The sound is modern, with a hint of Americana, featuring rich vocal harmonies, Steve Cropper inspired guitar and lustrous instrumentation weaving throughout. Chris Comhaill is a songwriter and musician from Dublin, Ireland. As a solo artist, his new work now weaves together these eclectic strands of music that have influenced him throughout his life to marry the sombre and reflective with the wide-eyed and radiant.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey Chris Comhaill, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Thanks so much for having me, lovely to get to chat with 'Lost in the Manor'.
When I was really young I found a battered old nylon string acoustic in my Granny's attic. I used to love twanging the strings and leaning real close, watching the vibrations ripple along like some strange archaic tool for hypnosis. I think that's the earliest thing that got me into music, mesmerised me, so to speak. Then my Ma, being a classical flautist, liked the idea of me studying some classical guitar so I went and did my grades and started studying music theory and technique and it all seemed to branch out from there. As I got older and started writing my own tunes, it became more about expression and the idea of fostering community and connection; getting to create and share songs and stories with other musicians and audiences, be that on a stage or just round at a mate's house after a session.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
ANYONE! I firmly believe we've all got that Promethean spark in us kindling a fire and I'm chuffed to get the opportunity to collaborate with anyone that has passion for what they're creating. To get to huddle round their fire and share a flicker of my own flame to make something new is some of the best craic you can get up to as a human; exercising your creative muscles. Over the years, I've realised everyone working on their craft has their own niche so I genuinely enjoy simply exploring how to collaborate and seeing how other people go about their practices. I think being open to the idea of working with anyone has led me down some fun, ofttimes odd but always intriguing paths where I generally end up learning a lot more than I ever anticipated I would.
More specifically though (than anyone in the entire world) I'd love to collaborate with Sofia Hourani and Australian folk group 'The Stamps' - with whom I'm delighted to announce I'm actually working on some material with right now! I'd also love to work with Denver singer/songwriter 'Lonely Choir', though how she'll ever get the time between pilfering whimsical coffee mugs and watching re-runs of 'Fleabag' is anyone's guess.
Can you tell us more about the making of "School"? Did any unusual things happen during the process?
I play a bit of the drums and piano and bass and the guitar is my primary instrument. I want to use my abilities as a multi-instrumentalist to build the tunes in the studio as I love getting everything to slot together like musical Tetris and I enjoy figuring out that process. I spent a good few years focusing on technique, especially on guitar, but without much creativity. I find changing instrument can often get your head into a different creative space so that was one of the tools I tried to use when recording 'School'.
In terms of the motivation behind the song, after thinking about it I realised it felt right that the first song I put out under my own name be about one of the first things I can remember. I think school is an odd and fascinating time; a world of possibilities and anxieties running mad and unbridled. I didn’t have a very good time of it at school but despite that I still feel the pull to look back on it with rose-tinted glasses. That romanticisation of the past, coupled with the intensity of that time of life that we all go through, is something I wanted to capture and investigate.
What are you focusing on right now?
At the moment I'm working on preparations for my next release which, all going well, should be out later this year. I'm putting a good bit of time into my guitar at the moment - working with alternate tunings and trying to unlock sounds that are new to me and, hopefully, will be new to a lot of listeners' ears too. I'm working on strengthening my voice too and generally just being the most proficient musician I can be. My aim is to continue developing my repertoire with folk/indie music and to keep pulling the thread in terms of developing my own style. As I have a background in blues and jazz and improvised music too I am also interested in bringing some of these elements to the music I'm writing now.
As well as that I'm arranging and recording for another project of mine titled 'Dúchas' which translates from old Irish as a plethora of things; 'heritage, nature, tradition, instinct, wildness, hereditary transmission, the innate quality of a person and culture'. This is a passion of mine as it's not only to do with my country's music but also with the mythology, lore and heritage of Ireland. So the aim of 'Dúchas' is to develop a programme of contemporary traditional music arranged for solo guitar. Sounds like a bit of an oxymoron doesn't it; the 'traditional - contemporary' bit? The traditional element is in sourcing ancient Celtic melodies - as well as the stories that go hand-in-hand with them - and finding a home for them on the guitar. The contemporary element is found in the expression of these melodies with modern harmony and guitar techniques. From the much loved ancient melodies of the blind harper Turlough O'Carolan to original tunes of my own composition, I'm aiming to use my diverse musical background to fuse classical guitar technique, contemporary harmony and traditional melodies to create something new and relevant that, at the same time, builds on and pays homage to the past.
Overall I like the idea of eclecticism when it comes to my music and my repertoire. I've often thought that music is like emotions; you don't just feel one emotion consistently every single day. You move through a spectrum of feeling, a rainbow of reactions, with each passing moment. Sometimes I'll feel joyous, sometimes morose. At times I'm going to dance and at others weep. In the same way I want my music to reflect that. From the earnest rawness of a folk ballad and the rapture of a Celtic jig to the soaring freedom of blowing over a bebop tune or the weary heart-break of a slow blues, I want to experience and express it all throughout my creative career.
How do you structure your day?
I try to get a balance between technical practice, creativity and teaching, as well as getting in a bit of exercise and good-eating.... honestly I don't know how other people seem to pull it off!.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Yes I enjoy basketball and tennis. I love a good, long conversation. I'm an enthusiastic chess player, sea-swimmer and a burgeoning cook.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Often I sing the songs I'm writing and working on. Or I get a new idea. It could be the vocal melodies or even the guitar parts. The shower seems to have some kind of magical ability to help me more easily tap into a flow state... ok, my bad, let's sidestep all those terrible puns! But I do genuinely often find ideas seem to come more easily in there. Maybe it's all the extra bathroom reverb, or just being alone in a little uninhibited world (I always turn the shower up to that point that you could cook a lobster in so there's so much condensation and fog it's like being in some other realm), so I often find myself running out still dripping wet scrambling for my phone so I can make a voice memo of some wisp of melody.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
"Everything not saved will be lost" - the Nintendo 'Quit' Screen.
Hence my urgent scramble from the shower to the voice memo app.
What are your plans for the future?
Well, I make a bit of noise that’s hopefully my own thing, and I’ll hopefully be doing it for another long while yet! My main plan is to keep honing my craft, writing and playing tunes and having a few adventures along the way. I really look forward to getting to share more music in the coming while and I greatly appreciate anyone that wants to take the time to lend an ear to it